


Joining Manda

by KattheSinisterAce



Series: The Nervous Mando Named Tari Novhret [27]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-12 00:19:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5647075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KattheSinisterAce/pseuds/KattheSinisterAce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tari Novhret's time to join manda has finally come. She meets a familiar face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Joining Manda

The day Tari’s soul joins her siblings in Manda dawned bright and warm. She goes about her usual work, humming softly as she moves about.   
  
She’s old now, far older than she had ever expected to become and has outlived all but two of her elder siblings. She’s even outlived many of her nieces and nephews, as well as some of their children as well.  
  
Yes, Tari Novhret was old—-in fact, she had celebrated her 105th birthday a few months before. As always, she had insisted upon a small affair, with only those she was close to being invited.   
  
Cabur hadn’t left her side since that day, and she knew the Insecticon was worried. Truth be told, Tari was worried, too, though not about her impending long march. No, she was worried about Cabur—-who would take care of them when she was gone? In their own society, they were still considered a youngling, though Insecticons were forced to mature rather quickly.  
  
And there was Ariel and Key, too…Tari knew her younger daughter could take care of herself and look after Ariel just fine, but she still worried about both of them, though especially Ariel. She was the elder of the two, but was by far the more childish, even at the age she was now.  
  
It was an accident that caused her to lower herself into her chair and sigh softly, eyes slipping shut so she could take a nap…  
  
–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–//–  
  
Tari opened her eyes with some difficulty, yawning as she stretched her tired limbs. She didn’t understand why she still felt so tired, but she was. And yet…it felt as if she would never need sleep again. A small frown tugged at the corners of her mouth and she rocked slightly on her feet, stretching again to try and figure out what was feeling off about her body…  
  
And then it hit her: her feet were on the ground, sure, and she could feel it through her boots, but…it didn’t feel the same. Neither did the rest of her surroundings, which looked like her clinic in Keldabe, but somehow…muffled, as if there were a veil or a thin screen stretched across it.  
  
Blinking, Tari reached to rub at her eyes and found…another frown. Where had her glasses gone? She was sure she’d left them on, so there would be need for her to take the effort to put them on again when she woke.   
  
It was as she searched for her glasses that it finally came to her. She was…oh. She felt tears begin to form but they didn’t slip down her face. Instead, they stayed there was she walked to the door, pushing it open with shaking hands.   
  
Outside was the city of Keldabe, but it too was different. There were people moving about, but she was sure more than half of them were like she was.  
  
Moving out into the street, Tari headed for Ben and Maz’s house. It had been just down the road, tucked into a small, cozy corner.   
  
But she never made it. Instead, she was confronted by a man who made her heart stop and the tears begin to finally flow down her face.   
  
“ _Nef_!” she cried out, her feet nearly flying as she ran towards her elder brother. He was still the same massive mountain of a man, with bright eyes and careful hands, and a smile that could disarm just about anyone.  
  
“Hey there, Tar’ika.” he murmured in reply, reaching down to catch her in his arms and pull her into a hug that felt warm and real and safe. Shifting one hand, he began to stroke her hair and she curled into him, fingers digging into the seams of his armor.   
  
It was then that the tears began to flow. He continued to stroke her hair, rocking her gently as he had when she was just a small, terrified child, despite the fact that they were in the middle of a crowded street.   
  
“It’s alright, vod’ika, you’re alright, everything is alright.“ he murmured softly to her and she chocked on her sob.  
  
“ _Nef_.”  
  
He smiled softly at her. “Elek, Tar’ika, ni cuyi gar ori’vod Nef.”  
  
“Gar cuyi.” was all she could managed.   
  
He didn’t put her down as he began to walk. “Come on, Tar’ika. Let’s get you home. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us and you’ll need your strength for it. Some rest will do you good.”  
  
She nodded, already beginning to feel her eyes slipping shut, and curled ever closer. “Okay.”  
  
Softly, Nef recited, “Nu kyr’adyc.”  
  
Without being told, Tari picked up the second half of the tribute, “Shi taab’echaaj’la—-not gone, merely marching far away.”  
  
Nef nodded, tilting his head slightly so that he could turn his soft smile on her. “Elek, Tar’ika. It’s time for your march.”  
  
“Okay.” she murmured softly in reply, and smiled when he began to sing Their Song,  
  
 _Hush, now, please don’t cry._  
 _I’ve got you, and won’t let you go…_  
 _Hush, now, please don’t cry._  
 _I will keep you safe from harm…_

**Author's Note:**

> Tari Novhret can be found at nervousmando.tumblr.com


End file.
